Noel Francisco, Donald Trump's pick to serve as U.S. solicitor general, poses with Oswego High School Class of 2013 officers Leah Weiss and Matt DiFabio. Francisco delivered the 2013 commencement address at the high school.

(Provided photo)

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Noel Francisco is preparing for a busy spring.

The 47-year-old lawyer tapped by President Donald Trump this week to serve as solicitor general is getting ready to face intense confirmation hearings in the U.S. Senate.

At the same time, he's helping to plan the 30th reunion of the Oswego High School Class of 1987.

It's no surprise to his friends, teachers and former colleagues who say Francisco never forgot his roots in Oswego while rising to become one of the top lawyers in America.

Trump on Tuesday said he intends to nominate Francisco to one of the most sought-after legal jobs in Washington. If confirmed by the Senate, Francisco will handle legal challenges for the federal government in arguments before the U.S. Supreme Court.

Noel Francisco, 47, who was raised in Oswego, is Donald Trump's pick to serve as U.S. solicitor general.

The solicitor general has been referred to as the "10th justice" on the Supreme Court, charged with deciding whether the government appeals thousands of court decisions each year.

The job has even served as a stepping stone to the top court. Justice Elena Kagan served as solicitor general under President Barack Obama.

Chris Carpenter, an Oswego High School classmate who maintains a close friendship with Francisco and is the godfather of one of his daughters, said he wouldn't be surprised to see his buddy follow the same route as Kagan.

"I see nothing but bigger and better things for him," Carpenter said. "There's no question he will be one of the most famous people ever to come out of Oswego. I would bet anything if I was a gambler that he would be on the Supreme Court before he's done."

Those who know him from Oswego say they always expected great things from Francisco, who received top grades, made everyone feel special, and loved to debate -- but was respectful and never engaged in partisan politics.

He is the son of a Filipino immigrant who moved to the United States, speaking little English and without much money, to pursue a medical career that took him to Oswego in 1971.

Nemesio Francisco would become one of the most beloved doctors in Oswego -- taking calls at home and on weekends -- before succumbing to cancer at age 53 in 1989.

While growing up, Noel Francisco rarely talked about his father's journey from the Philippines. But when Noel returned to Oswego High School to deliver the 2013 commencement address, he talked about having the courage to accept difficult challenges in life. He cited his father as an example.

Always an Oswego kid

Francisco returned to Oswego for his 10th and 25th high school reunions, and has regularly entertained former teachers and friends on visits to Washington.

Carpenter, one of those frequent visitors from Oswego, said the two rarely discuss business or Francisco's stressful job.

"He has the overwhelming knack of being able to compartmentalize areas of his life," Carpenter said. "You can hang out with him for the weekend when he's trying cases before the Supreme Court, and you would never know that's what he did. And we don't really get into political talk."

Francisco ultimately focuses his attention on his friends, and strangers that he's just met, rather than himself.

"At the end of conversation, he'll probably know more about you than you know about him," Carpenter said.

Ann Marie (Taylor) Thompson, part of a group of about 10 "smarty kids" that hung out in high school, said Francisco has never changed, and still recalls small details about his Oswego friends.

The two friends chatted backstage before Francisco gave his 2013 commencement address, during which he asked Thompson's graduating daughter to stand up to be recognized.

"He's the same," Thompson said. "He was a hard-worker in high school. He was very smart, but also very funny. He was just a very good person. It doesn't surprise me where he is."

Francisco, through a Justice Department spokesman, declined a request for an interview while his nomination is pending before the U.S. Senate.

His mother, Therese Francisco, who still lives in Oswego, told Syracuse.com she doesn't want talk about her son until he is confirmed.

Early lessons in politics

In a 2012 interview with The Post-Standard, Francisco said it was his experience in the wind ensemble with Oswego High School's renowned symphonic band that provided his earliest lesson about politics.

Francisco, a trombone player, said he learned that if he could build consensus among his Oswego bandmates, they could succeed in achieving their broader goals.

"I always say the first political lesson I learned was in high school," Francisco said in the 2012 interview. "There were more people in band than in sports, so by consolidating the band group, you could negotiate what you needed. You also could learn a lot about people from band because it was such as diverse collection of kids."

Francisco credited Edward Lisk, the band director, for teaching him about leadership. Lisk, an internationally recognized conductor, is a member of the National Band Hall of Fame for Distinguished Conductors.

"Mr. Lisk took Oswego and put it on the map," Francisco recalled. "He took us all over the country because we were one of the best that there was."

Lisk, now 83 and living in Oswego, said he expected great achievements from Francisco.

"Noel was a wonderful student," Lisk said this week. "I had him throughout his four years of high school. I also watched him and observed him through his elementary and middle school years, too, because he was a very well-mannered and disciplined student committed to excellence."

Francisco never missed a lesson or rehearsal, Lisk said. "He had high expectations for success. He was very committed. He was an outstanding musician because he was dedicated."

Francisco's success extended beyond his work in the marching and symphonic bands. He had a 93 average when he graduated in 1987. The same year he was elected student council president and played on the varsity soccer team, according to the Oswego City-County Youth Bureau, which gave Francisco an academic achievement award.

A meteoric rise

After graduating from Oswego, Francisco earned a B.A. with honors in 1991 at the University of Chicago, and in 1996 graduated with high honors from University of Chicago Law School.

He clerked for the late Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia, whose bobblehead figure is kept as a reminder on Francisco's desk. His career took off four years out of law school when he was part of the legal team that worked on the Florida recount for George W. Bush in the 2000 presidential election.

It was during the recount that Francisco met another young lawyer, Ted Cruz, now the U.S. senator from Texas. Cruz on Friday issued a statement in which he called Francisco "a brilliant lawyer and a principled conservative. He has cemented his reputation as one of the best appellate advocates of our generation."

The recount work helped land Francisco a job in the Bush White House, where he served from 2001 to 2003 as an associate counsel, and from 20003 to 2005 as deputy assistant attorney general at the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel.

Francisco represented the president in 2004 when he returned to Oswego to mark the 60th anniversary of the Safe Haven shelter for European refugees at Fort Ontario.

Paul Lear, superintendent of the Fort Ontario State Historic Site since 1986, said it was significant because Francisco and his brother, David, worked at the fort for two summers. They were members of the Fort Ontario Guard - nine men and women who dress is post-Civil War uniforms, and conduct drills and exercises for tourists on the fort's grounds.

President Donald Trump intends to nominate Noel Francisco, second from left, to serve as U.S. solicitor general. Francisco is pictured with his sister Dina, left, his mother, Therese, and his brother, David, a doctor in the Rochester area.

"They were wonderful young men," Lear recalled this week. "Noel and his brother would never have anything negative to say about anybody. They kind of lifted everyone around them. These guys were just gentlemen. It's the way they were brought up."

High-profile cases

After leaving the White House, Francisco would go on to become a partner with the prestigious law firm Jones Day in Washington, D.C., where he worked with Donald McGahn, now Trump's White House counsel.

While in private practice, Francisco has been in the middle of some of the biggest conservative and religious issues before the Supreme Court, twice taking on President Barack Obama's administration in high-profile cases.

Francisco represented organizations with religious affiliations that objected to having to provide contraceptive services to employees through health insurance plans. The court split its decision and sent the matter back to lower courts.

Francisco's two wins before the court included a successful challenge of Obama's power to make federal appointments when Congress was in recess.

Last year, Francisco was part of a team that succeeded in overturning former Virginia Gov. Robert McDonnell's conviction on public corruption charges. The Republican had faced jail time.

Francisco was appointed Trump's principal deputy solicitor general Jan. 23. During his brief tenure, he has worked on the president's executive order for a revised travel ban that was issued this week.

None of the achievements surprise Mark Mirabito, a retired teacher who spent 33 years at Oswego High School and served as faculty adviser to the student council when Francisco was its president.

"He was a go-getter," Mirabito said. "He was involved in everything. He was one of those kids you just thought was going to go places."

Mirabito followed Francisco's career and invited him back to serve as commencement speaker in 2013.

"He was extremely bright, eager to learn, and loved to debate the finer points of laws, rules and fairness," Mirabito said. "It's no surprise to me that he has become a successful attorney."

Carpenter, a former golf pro, agrees. He said Francisco always had the work ethic, discipline and drive to excel. He remembers when Francisco turned to him for help as a young lawyer in his early 20s, asking for golf lessons to improve his game as he moved into a world where business mixed with pleasure on the links.

After the first lesson, Carpenter gave his friend tips - advice that many students ignore until the next session. But Francisco was different.

"He came back the next week and the improvement was amazing," Carpenter recalled. "His hands were all blistered from practice. I wouldn't say he's a great golfer today, but he can go out and play 18 holes and not be embarrassed."